By Charlie McCann
There is an excellent midweek card at Ludlow today due to be run on perfect, good to soft, jumping ground. Ronnie Lawson (1.10) makes his chase debut for John Ferguson and AP McCoy takes the ride for the first time on a lightly-raced sort who is the brother of the very exciting novice chaser Kings Palace. Today’s better ground should suit and his third to Theatrical Star in a Bumper 12 months ago suggests he has ability and the quicker the ground the better. Ferguson wouldn’t ask McCoy to ride if he hadn’t schooled well at home and he starts his chasing career off a very lowly mark.
It wasn’t Wayne Hutchinson’s finest hour when Mystery Drama (1.40) failed to overhaul Malanos at Leicester last time when the jockey appeared to give the mare plenty to do. She is back against her won sex this afternoon and her 4lb rise is negated by Tom Bellamy’s 5lb claim. Pass The Time has never won beyond the minimum trip and she is only 3lb higher than when scoring at Doncaster back in February. She has been failing to get home over further of late, the booking of McCoy suggests connections mean business and she looks a big danger.
The feature race is the Boyne Cup; Henry Daly saddled the winner of the race 12 months ago and Kingsmere is back chasing having lost his way following a fall at Cheltenham last October. He has never won going right-handed, however, and preference is for Gorsky Island (2.10) who has been raised 6lbs for winning over C&D last month for the very much inform combination of Tom George and Paddy Brennan.
The selection has nothing in hand of last month’s runner up Abbeygrey on the revised terms and both are young progressive chasers but I felt Gorsky Island had more scope that the Evan Williams-trained runner in what is an excellent renewal of this event. Note Williams has saddled the winner of this corresponding race twice in the last five years.
Vivaccio (2.40) looked a chaser to follow when scoring over C&D last month from a 10lb lower mark and is open to significant improvement for Venetia Williams. The runner up (Cody Wyoming) went one better at Taunton and he could still be ahead of the handicapper. Oyster Shell was well backed but blotted his copybook when he refused to race over C&D last time and must be treated with caution at present.
At Catterick the ground, at the time of writing, is currently good and that should suit Oorayvic (12.50) who remains a maiden after eleven starts but who has been running well in defeat of late. The Sue Smith yard have been back amongst the winners of late and after just two starts over the larger obstacles is open to further improvement.
I like the booking of Tom Scudamore for Top Of The Glas (1.20) and expect the grey go one better having finished runner up in both juvenile hurdles to date. He sets a decent standard for the hurdling newcomers with Scrafton an interesting newcomer for the John Quinn yard.
The Beginners Chase should go to Cocktails At Dawn (1.50) for Lambourn raider Nicky Henderson. The selection has always suggested that he would up into a decent chaser and he should have learnt plenty from his debut over the larger obstacles when runner up over this trip at Ascot. The mare Doyley Carte was a better hurdler than the selection and is 2 from 2 at today’s track for Donald McCain. She must go close and certainly has the scope to jump a fence.
There is a terrific nursery at Lingfield with Greatest Journey receiving 16lbs from Biting Bullets (1.00) including jockey’s allowances but the latter showed a smart turn of foot to land a gamble at Kempton earlier in the week and must be backed to follow up.
The Happy Hammer (1.30) is not having the best of luck with the draw but I’m convinced he is handicapped to win before Xmas and is visored for the first time this afternoon for Eugen Stanford. His last success was gained with blinkers, from a 2lb higher mark, and he must go close if his draw in stall nine is not too much of an inconvenience.
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